Anaesthesia in patients with abnormal haemoglobin syndromes: A preliminary report

Abstract

Summary: Sickling and blood-gas studies were done before, during and after anaesthesia in 24 patients with abnormal haemoglobins (4 SS, 4 SC, 5 AC and 11 AS) who were undergoing surgery. The mean numbers of sickled cells per hour obtained for these abnormal haemoglobin groups were not increased by the effects of anaesthesia. As far as the blood-gas tensions were concerned, the mean PaCO2 was much higher during anaesthesia than in the pre- and postanaesthetic periods; whereas the PaC02 and pH were not much altered. In the second part of this study, the anaesthetic and postoperative records of 33 patients with abnormal haemoglobins (5 SS, 5 SC, 5 AC and 18 AS), undergoing 50 surgical procedures were reviewed. There were only two deaths recorded and these were in the AS haemoglobin group. Death was unrelated to the abnormal haemoglobin state in one, while it cannot be entirely excluded in the other. Some recommendations in respect of the anaesthetic management of these patients are proposed. © 1971 John Sherratt and Son Ltd.